MS in Genetic Counseling Curriculum | Icahn School of Medicine

MASTER’S DEGREE PROGRAMS

Master of Science in Genetic Counseling

The Master of Science in Genetic Counseling program has a multifaceted curriculum, encompassing biological and social sciences, counseling, clinical training, and applied clinical research. This ensures that as a graduate, you will be successful in a variety of settings and have the skills necessary to adapt to the demands of this rapidly evolving profession.

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Program Requirements

All students in our Program are required to successfully complete the core curriculum, clinical rotations, and a thesis project. You will engage in courses with many types of learners, giving you a diverse environment to gain a wide variety of perspectives, and to hone your skills in collaboration and team learning. The Graduate Student Course Catalog provides a full breakdown of course descriptions (click below to access). Upon successful completion of their studies, candidates receive the Master of Science in Genetic Counseling from the Graduate School. Graduates are eligible to apply for the American Board of Genetic Counseling certification examination.

When you enroll in our Program, you will benefit from a diverse learning environment to study a range of genetic counseling principles, including:

Structures for Genetic Counselors
Molecules, Cells and Genomics
Biostatistics
Clinical Research Ethics in Genetic Counseling
Topics in Genetic Counseling I, II, III
Fundamentals of Psychosocial Interviewing and Counseling
Medical Genetics
Impact of Illness on Patients and Families
Practical Analysis of a Personal Genome
Practical Skills in Genetic Counseling
Deconstructing Inequity in Genetic Counseling

Students rotate through a variety of clinical settings, providing opportunities for extensive supervised experiences in history taking, interviewing, psychosocial assessment, and genetic risk assessment.

Reproductive Genetics
Cancer Genetics
Clinical Genetics
Inborn Errors in Metabolism
Lysosomal Storage Diseases and the Porphyrias
Cardiovascular Genetics
Cystic Fibrosis
Laboratory Genetic Counseling

As a requirement for graduation, you must complete an original Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved, in-depth study of a selected genetic counseling issue or topic.

The timeline for the thesis project begins in the spring of the first year when students identify a research topic they are interested in studying and secure a thesis advisor or advisors.

Students will typically obtain IRB approval over the summer and proceed with their research through their second year. Thesis projects are presented to the Genetics and Genomic Sciences Department and are formally written and deposited by mid-April. Students are strongly encouraged to study topics appropriate for national presentation and publication.

Review recent examples of thesis projects.

MS in Genetic Counseling students maintain satisfactory progress by:

Matriculating on a full-time basis
Maintaining a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0
Completing at least 30 credits by the end of the first year
Earning no more than two incomplete grades, unless they resulted from an approved leave of absence which occurred before a final grade could be assigned
Meeting with the program leadership at least twice each year
Actively participating in journal club, case conferences, and seminars
Achieving basic genetic counseling and clinical skills in each of the required clinical rotations as determined by the clinical supervisor
Achieving clinical research project goals in accordance with the MS in Genetic Counseling thesis timeline, unless otherwise approved by program leadership
Completing the core curricula for the MS in Genetic Counseling
Completing at least 50 distinct supervised participatory genetic counseling cases as defined by the Accreditation Council of Genetic Counseling
Completing all requirements for the MS in Genetic Counseling program, including presenting and depositing the clinical research project (thesis) within the parameters of the program

Requirements to Graduate:

All students will need to meet the following degree requirements in order to successfully earn the MS in Genetic Counseling degree:

Achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher for all required courses
Complete the core curriculum
Attain the minimum clinical competencies defined and documented by each clinical training area
Complete a minimum of 50 participatory cases as required by the Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling
Complete, present, and deposit an in-depth thesis project of a selected genetic counseling issue or topic